Hair cutting guide



Dec. 15, 1959 G. H. FOUCHE 2,917,055

HAIR CUTTING GUIDE Filed y 13, 1957 IN VEN TOR. GEORGE H. mus/45 1 BY IUnited States Patent HAIR CUTTING GUIDE George H. Fouche, Falls Church,Va.

Application May 13, 1957, Serial No. 658,771

6 Claims. (Cl. 132-45) This invention relates to a hair cutting guideand, more particularly, to a hair cutting guide adapted to be used incutting flat top haircuts. This device is useful for the professionalbarber and, because of its simplicity and the ease with which the flattop effect may be obtained, maybe readily used successfully by thenovice and finds wide use in do-it-yourself haircutting.

,Flat top haircuts are quite popular today particularly among theteenagers. The success of the fiat top haircut depends upon obtaining aperfectly fiat top effect across the top of the head. In light of thefact that the fiat top haircut is generally a short hair cut, thefailure to obtain a fiat top effect results in an unflattering effect.It is therefore important that a good deal of care be exercised inobtaining the fiat top effect.

Flat top haircuts are now, for the most part, given by professionalbarbers in view of the skill required in obtaining the flat top. Theskill needed for cutting the flat top without some kind of guide meanshas made it impossible for the novice to give such a haircut. Even amongprofessional barbers, the results of free hand cutting of flat tops arenot satisfactory and are very time consuming. a

Several attempts have been made to provide a means to eliminate thehuman error in cutting hair to obtain the ,flat top effect. Thus theprior art discloses several devices wherein the clippers are fixed in apredetermined plane. These are exemplified by the Guenther Patent2,765,796 and DeLano Patent 2,718,231. These devices are verycomplicated and expensive and as a result have not gained any wide useamong professional barbers.

2,917,055 Patented Dec. 15, 1959 It is another object of the presentinvention to provide a flat top hair cutting guide which is simple,inexpensive and adapted for use by the professional barber as well asthe ordinary householder.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a flat tophair cutting guide which reduces to a minimum the human error inobtaining the flat top effect.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a fiattop hair cutting guide which is supported at the front and rear thereofto insure that the guide is maintained in a horizontal plane.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a fiattop hair cutting guide which is adapted to be set at substantially anyposition to accommodate the particular head that it is being used uponand to provide sufficient space beneath the guide so that a comb may bepassed thereunder to lift the hair into position to be out.

Other and more detailed objects will be apparent from the followingdescription and claims takenin connection with drawings, wherein: V j''Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of a flat top hair cutting guideencompassed by the present invention showing the device in position onthe head; t

Figure 2 is top plan view of a flat top hair cutting guide encompassedby this invention. I

Figure 3 is sectional view taken along line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged, exploded view of the back section of the deviceshown in Figure 2 showing the details of the band and grate and therelationship of the rear grate support to the band.

Figure 5 is a partial sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 2showing the details of the front securing means and front gratesupporting means.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters denotecorresponding parts in the various views of the drawing, the flat tophair cutting guide of the present invention includes a band 2 which maybe made of any suitable flexible material such as thin metal or plastic.Band 2 is provided at each end thereof with a Moreoveigthe expenseinvolved has precluded their use a a in the ordinary household.

The prior art also discloses certain combs which may be used inconnection with cutting crewi'and fiat top hair cuts. These areexemplified in the Richmond Patent 2,778,366. In this device, a comb isprovided with several legs that may be snapped into position so thatthey rest on the head while the comb is used as a guide for cutting.This device has several disadvantages in cutting the flat top. In thefirst place only a limited number of legs can be provided thus seriouslylimiting the number of positions at which the comb may be used.Secondly, the comb is only supported at one end thereof and thereforedoes not insure a horizontal plane. A proper result through the use ofthis device is still to a very large degree dependent upon the skill ofthe operator.

The prior art also discloses several hair cutting guides, none of whichis adapted for obtaining the fiat top effect which is possible throughthe present invention. :Moreover, they do not provide the necessaryaccess beneath the hair cutting guide to allow the operator to use hiscomb. Devices of these types are illustrated in the US. Patents2,542,450 and 2,347,587.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a hair cutting guideparticularly adapted for acting as a guide tages of prior art devicesdescribed above.

in cutting fiat top haircuts which avoids the disadva channel 4 whichextends from the terminal ends of said band to a point just short offlanges 6 of band 2. The surfaces of band 2 adjacent channels 4 may beroughened or otherwise provided with a surface which will prevent thesecuring means, hereinafter. described, from slipping. Channels 4 may beof any desired length to accommodate the various head sizes that may beencountered. Flanges 6, of band 2 are provided with holes 8, throughwhich bolt 10 may be passed. Bolt 10 is held in place by wing nut 12.Band 2 is also providedwith a front hole through which the securingmeans for front grate support 14, hereinafter described, may pass.Itwill be seen that band 2 may be placed on the head and adjusted to theappropriate size by manipulation of the wing nut 12. The manipulation ofwing nut 12 moves together or separates flanges 6 thus varying thecircuin ference of band 2. The ends of band 2 are maintained inoverlapping relationship so that they may readily slide over each otheras wing nut 12 is manipulated. i

The guide arrangement is designated generally at 15 and comprises agrate 16 having front and rear supports 14 and 18 respectively. Saidsupports 14 and 18 are fixed securely to said'grate 16, and preferablyare integral therewith. In a preferred form of this invention said guidearrangement is-made of a single casting of metal or plastic and maybemade of the same material as band 2.

Grate 16 comprises a frame 20, and series of rods 22 which extend acrossframe 20 from front to back. Rods '22 are sufficientlyrigidso that. theydo notben d under the" weight of the clippers or' the operatorsh au d.Rods 22 are spaced apart sufiiciently to allow the hair to be combedupward between the rods during the cutting operation.

Front and rear grate supports 14 and 18 are each provided with grooves24'which extend from the lower edge thereof toa point short of their'junctionwith frame 20. The surfaces of supports 18 and1'4 mayberoughened or otherwise provided with means to prevent the slipping ofsupports or their securing means. i

Guide arrangement 15 is adjustably secured to hand 2 'at the rearthereof by means of bolt 26 which passes from the inside outward throughgroove 24 and channels 4 and is secured on the outside surface of band 2by nut 28. Guide arrangement -15 is' adjustably secured at the front ofband -2 by means of bolt 30' which passes from inside out through a holeat the front of band 2 and through the groove 24 of the front support 14and is secured at the front of the band by nut 32. As an alternative theguide arrangement 15 may be assembled so that rear grate support 18 isplaced outside of band 2 and thus lies immediately adjacent to nut 23.Washers 34 may also be used in conjunction with bolt 26 and 30 asillustrated in the drawings The front and back grate supports 14 and 18are sufiiciently long so that when the present device is in place andadjusted a comb may be passed along underneath the grate'and through thehair to lift the hair upwardly through the spaces in the grate so thatthe clippers may cut a flat top) In the use of the present inventionband 2 is .placed on the head withlthe guide arrangement in place. 'Theband is then adjusted to the proper head size to maintain it in positionby wing nut 12. The grate'arrangement 15 is then adjusted by means ofthe nuts 32 and 28 so thatthe surface of the grate is at the desiredheight, which is dependent upon the shortness of the haircut desired.The grate assembly is also adjusted so that it is securely in positionand its upper surface is perfectly fiat. The grate is also adjusted so.that there is sufiicient clearance of the'grate surface above the headto allow for a 'comb to be passed along underneath the grate to lift thehair upwardly through the grate. As the comb is passedalong underneaththe grate the cutting instrument cuts the hair that extends abovetheupper grate surface.

Guide arrangement 15 is also adapted to be rotated around the long axisof band 2 and may be fixed in any of the rotated positions. In thismanner the upper surface of grate 16 may be fixed at various angles andat various heights with respect to the upper edge of band 2. Thisconstruction makes it feasible to use the present hair cutting guide forother hair styles which require a plane surface. Thus, for example, itmay be used to cut a "slant top wherein the top surface of the hair is afiat surface which slopes from one side of the head to the other.Similarly the present device may be used .to cut a -slant top-located onone side of the-head to simulate a part in the hair.

It will be understood that modifications within. the scope of theappended claims may be made in the design and arrangement of partswithout departing from the spirit .of this invention.

' --What.is claimed is:

.1. A hair cutting guide, adapted to beused for cutting hair in a planecomprising, an adjustable band me ns having an adjustable circumferenceand adapted to be adjusted to various head sizes, and grate meansadjustably secured to said band means said grate means being dimensionedto substantially completely cover .thettop :of thehe'ad of the subjectwhen said hair cutting guide is in operative position, said grate meansbeing further secured to said band means by adjustable securing means atat least 2 points on the circumference of said band means on oppositesides of the head, said adjustable securing means serving to space said.gratemeans. from said :ban'd SPEeP LWEQ E P ahs lsa dht st i guide inea- 4 tive position on the head clearance is provided for pass ing acomb through the hair and underneath saidgrate means to pick the hair upthrough spaces in the grate means so that it may be cut by a haircutting means whereby said adjustable securing means serves to maintainsaid grate means in the desired plane. 7

2. A hair cutting guide adapted to be used for cutting flat top haircutscomprising, a band means having an adjustabe circumference adapted to beadjusted to various head sizes, a grate means having front and rearsupports which operatively engage said band means and which serve tospace the upper surface of said grate means from said band means, saidgrate means being dimensioned to substantially completely cover the topof the head of the subject when said hair cutting guide is in operativeposition, said grate means being further adjustably secured to said bandmeans through said front and rear supports whereby the upper surface ofsaid grate means may be moved upwardly and downwardly with respect :tosaid band means and whereby said grate means may be maintained in thedesired plane, said front and rear supports being of such size as ,toprovide adequate clearance-below said grate surface for passing a combthereunder to lift the'hair upwardly through the openings in said gratewhen said hair cutting guide'is in operativposition.

'A'hair cutting guide'adapted tobe used for'cutting flat top haircutscomprising, a band means having adjustable circumference adapted to beadjusted to various head sizes; agratemeans comprising a frame, a seriesof' spaced members extending from front torear'of said frame and securedthereto, and front and reargrate supporting'means said grate means beingdimensioned to substantially completely cover the top of the head of thesubject'when said hair cutting guide is in operative position, saidgrate frame being spaced from and adjustably secured to said band meansthrough said front and rear supporting means, whereby said frame may bemoved upwardly and downwardly with respect to said band meansand wherebysaid grate means may be maintainedin the desired plane, said front andrear supportingmeans be; ing of such size as to provide adequateclearancebelow said'fra me, when'said hair cutting guide is in operativeposition, so that acomb maybe passed through the hair underneath saidframe to lift the hair upwardly through the spaces in'said grate means.

4. A h'aircutting' guide adapted to be used'in cutting hair in a plane,comprising an adjustable band means adapted to be adjusted to varioushead sizes and a grate means adjustably secured to said band means, saidgrate means being further spaced from said ban'd'means' and securedthereto at least at two points by adjustahlesecuring' means, saidadjustable securing means serving to support said grate means at atleast two points onopposite sides fofithe head inthe desired plane, saidadjustable ,securing'm'ean's alsoserving to providefclearance under saidgratem'eans for'passing a comhthrough the hair when said ,cu'tting guideis in position on the head, whereby the hair'may'hedifted through theopenings in said grate means and into a cutting position.

' '5. A hair cutting guide adapted to be used for cutting .flat top haircuts comprising a V band means having an.adjustableicircurnferenceladapted to be adjusted to various head sizes,a grate means comprising a frame'meansflaiid a series of spaced membersextending from front to rear of said frameaud integral'therewi'th, frontand rear grate supporting'meaiis integralwith'said frame and adjustablysecuredto said'band means at thefrontand'rearl,ther'of, whereby:sa'idfframe. may be (moved upwardly and downwardly with respect as saidband means, and whereby said grate means may be securely fixed in thedesired plane, said grate means being dimensioned tosubstantiallycompletely coverthe top of .the-head'fof the subject when's'aid haircutting guide is inoperative position, said front and tfiarfgrate .supportingrneans being. of such a size as to hair cutting guide is inoperative position, so that a comb may -be passed through the hairunderneath said frame to lift the hair upwardly through the spaces insaid grate means.

6. A hair cutting guide adapted to be used for cutting flat top haircutscomprising a band means having a circumference adjustable to varioushead sizes and having overlapping end portions, said overlapping endportions each being provided with horizontally disposed slots whichregister With each other; a horizontally disposed grate dimensioned tosubstantially completely cover the top of the head of the subject whenin operative position having front and rear grate supporting meansdepending therefrom, said grate supporting means being provided withvertically extending slots; adjustable front and rear securing meansadapted to secure said grate to said band means one of said adjustablesecuring means being disposed in said vertical slots of said gratesupporting means and said horizontal slots of said end portions of saidband means, said adjustable securing means serving to secure said gratesupporting means to said band means and to provide for the adjustment ofthe vertical height of said grate, said grate supporting means beingdimensioned to allow for sufficient clearance under said grate whereby acomb may be passed thereunder to lift the hair upwardly through theopenings in said grate when said hair cutting guide is in operativeposition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS533,466 Howard et a1 Feb. 5, 1895 1,390,465 Shafer Sept. 13, 19212,347,587 Wiles Apr. 25, 1944 2,765,797 Potente Oct. 9, 1956

